Photocatalytic fuel cell (PFC) is a new kind of fuel cell, in which photocatalytic cathode and photocatalytic anode electrode are connected by wire with external resistance. When photocatalytic electrodes are illuminated by photons that have higher energy than the band gap, they produce abundant active electron/holes, which then form active oxidizing species degrade pollutants efficiently. The electrons transfer from the anode to the catalytic cathode through the external circuit timely, promote separation of electronic/holes on the electrodes. They can achieve electricity recovery and pollutants removal at the same time. PFCs with catalytic electrodes overcome the shortcoming of powder catalysts and greatly improve the Photocatalytic degradation efficiency of pollutants, in the meantime generate electricity.
Environmental pollution and energy consumption are two major challenges to the whole world, soil/sands are important parts in ecological environment, may have been polluted in varied degrees, soil pollution could directly lead to changes in the composition and physical/chemical properties of the soil, damage the normal function, decrease agricultural production and cause serious economic loss. Soil remediation technologies mainly are physical, chemical or biological methods, that transform, being adsorbed/absorbed and/or degraded, that reduce the concentration of the pollutants in soil, and convert to harmless components to environment or human. New Soil remediation techniques are still being developed, many are in early stage, followed developments in equipments for engineering application are started at a relatively even late stage. Facing increasingly serious soil pollution, it is of great significance to develop sustainable technologies to restore/remediate contaminated sites.
Photocatalytic fuel cell, can use clean solar energy, produce electricity at the same time, promote the degradation of pollutants, it has great value as a novelty fuel cell system. The existing soil remediation methods have their own specific application scope and limitation. No reports were found about introducing photocatalytic fuel cells to soil remediation. This application introduces photocatalytic fuel cell into soil remediation, with polluted sand as pollution medium, the constructed Special photocatalytic fuel cells for sand/water remediation are demonstrated and proved. By increasing the degradation rate of pollutants and producing electricity, the application is expected providing an efficient, low-cost, eco-environmental-friendly method of soil/sand remediation.